


Tenderness Insupportable

by pansythoughts



Series: Softer Shades [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, piggy back rides, soft, very gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-08 22:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8866654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pansythoughts/pseuds/pansythoughts
Summary: Ordinarily, Ritsu would be complaining by now: here he is, being very cute, and no attention is being paid to him at all. But sometimes, when a mood hits him just right, or when the sunlight has been particularly draining, it's nice to spend the afternoon quietly. Just being near Mao is enough on those days, and watching him while he's hard at work is its own kind of luxury.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A quick present for my darling best friend, who requested maoritsu and cheered me on. The title is from a bastardized Victor Hugo quote. Thank you thank you @meaisin for editing this for me!

Ritsu, head pillowed in his arms, watches Mao bustle around the student council room. While Ritsu technically has no business being there, that's never stopped him from doing anything before, and besides he has nothing to fear from Eichi, of all people. He likes looking at Mao when Mao is busy sometimes, likes the way Mao’s face looks when he's focused. Mao never cuts corners and never does things halfway. It's something Ritsu has always been fond of, even if he can't particularly share in the sentiment.

Ordinarily, Ritsu would be complaining by now: here he is, being very cute, and no attention is being paid to him at all. But sometimes, when a mood hits him just right, or when the sunlight has been particularly draining, it's nice to spend the afternoon quietly. Just being near Mao is enough on those days, and watching him while he's hard at work is its own kind of luxury.

Even though Ritsu has spent most of his life watching Mao, it honestly isn't something he could ever get tired of. The flex of Mao’s forearms, the shifting of his shoulder blades, the precise curl of his lip when he's thinking about something are all little treasures Ritsu has found over the years. Ritsu is fascinated by Mao, by how alive he is, by everything he does. That fascination goes deeper, too, than the ever present feeling of want Ritsu always has around him. Even if he's probably always wanted Mao on at least some level, he's been absolutely captivated by Mao since the moment he first saw him.

Ritsu feels his eyes slipping shut, and, surprisingly, makes a half-hearted effort to fight the sleep he can feel coming. If he's asleep he can't look at Mao anymore. Honestly, with how bad his day has been, watching Mao has been his only saving grace. But, unfortunately, the chairs in the student council room are really very comfortable, and the room is just so warm that sleep sneaks up on him anyways, and he drifts off.

~~~

Ritsu rouses slowly, jostled and much colder than when he fell asleep. He makes a noise in the back of his throat in protest before even opening his eyes, upset about the cold and upset about being awake. But when he bothers to open his eyes and take in his surroundings, he realizes that the reason it's cold and he's moving so much is that he's being carried on Mao’s back. Ritsu smiles a little at that, pleased as always to be this close to Mao, and tightens his grip around Mao's shoulders.

“Oh good, you're awake,” Mao says, without even looking at Ritsu. “You fell asleep in the student council room. You were really out, too, Ritsu, nothing I tried could wake you up. I figured nobody would really be surprised if I carried you home.”

Ritsu hums a little, happy despite himself. “Maakun knows just how to handle me, that's why he's the best.” He hugs Mao as much as he can from on his back, and buries his face in the crook of Mao’s neck. Mao makes an unhappy noise in protest and tenses up his shoulders, but relaxes when Ritsu does nothing more offensive than breathe in the scent of him. Honestly, as hungry as Ritsu always is, there's something inherently comforting about just breathing Mao in.

They go a few more steps in companionable silence. While they don't strictly need to speak to each other at this point in their relationship, Mao often fills the silence anyways. But today it seems that Mao might have something on his mind. Ritsu’s too tired, both from just waking up and his whole day, to bother trying to start a conversation himself; just being around Mao is all he really wanted for the rest of today, anyways.

After taking a deep breath-- Ritsu can feel Mao do it, from where his arms are looped around Mao’s shoulders-- Mao seems to work up to what he wants to say.

“Are you ok? You only ever really hang out in the student council room when the day's been bad, I've noticed, and you didn't even once bug me to pay attention to you.” Ah, so Mao has noticed that. Softer, Mao adds, “You can always talk to me, Ritchan.”

And oh, Mao's not playing fair today is he, but Ritsu loves this side of Mao too. He loves how Mao can be so perceptive, notice things about Ritsu’s wants and needs even when Ritsu isn't pouting and demanding. He has to kiss Mao right then, he has to, so he does-- a soft, chaste one to the side of Mao’s neck, because he can, and he knows it will get a huffy little squeak out of Mao.

“Maakun is too cute, I had to kiss him,“ he says with a giggle, by way of explanation. Mao huffs at that, pouting in response.

“Don't tease me, I'm genuinely worried about you! You're hardly ever this quiet, you're usually demanding me to do this or that by this time of day!” Mao's embarrassed more than angry, Ritsu can tell, and as much as he enjoys that, he supposes it's ok to be honest once in awhile.

“I had a bad day, Maakun, you're right. Everything was way too much today and the sun was too bright and class wasn't good, I kind of wanted to die. But being with Maakun calms me down, and makes me feel better, so don't worry too much. Just keep being nice and Maakun and giving me piggyback rides home and I'll be happy.”

Mao almost pauses mid-step, not expecting that honest of an answer from Ritsu; usually getting anything out of him is like pulling teeth. He flushes at Ritsu's implication that without even doing anything he could make Ritsu happy, and wonders, not for the first time, if he really merits that kind of importance to someone. But he's happy, too: happy that Ritsu was honest with him, happy that he can make Ritsu that happy. He hopes he can keep doing it for a while longer.


End file.
